10 reasons for reading books

1. When I was probably eight years old, my father wanted me to read since I only wanted to play outside. He made me read for one hour every day (what torture I thought) until I started reading the book he had chosen for me "Onion John" by Joseph Krumgold. I will always remember this book. I give it and my father credit for the love of reading I now have
2. Another favorite book of mine is "Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett which I also read as a kid. When my father-in-law died in 1987, I bought the book to read again during that sad time in the North Carolina Smokey Mountains. It refreshed my love for the book and another memory to equate with it
3. A friend recommended "Peace like a River" by Leif Enger for my husband to read. I got it from the library and since he was showing no interest in it, I decided to read it. That book, immediately after finishing it, went to the top of my list along with "Secret Garden". I have given it as gifts and recommended it to everyone I know that reads. Once visiting my parents, there it sat, that favorite book of mine "Peace like a River" in the corner along with all of the other "important" books. I was so excited that they had added it to their books, questioning it too since it was nowhere like the kind of books that either parent read. Found out that the author's mother is a childhood friend of my mother. What a small world-no really, what a small world, they're from North Dakota. That's a small world
   
4. I remember reading "Christy" by Catherine Marshall and crying for the first time reading
5. I remember also laughing out loud at books, having to read out loud to who ever was in the room (another flash back, my mom was in the kitchen when I was reading one time and I told her to listen to what I had just read, it was so funny. She told me to read it again tomorrow and if it was still as funny to me then I could read it to her. It was, I did), reading out loud to family members is a real pet peeve of theirs, right along with reading over one's shoulder-woo
6. The Bible: What can I say. I find many of the Bible stories so moving, to tears, laughter, thoughts and knowing that they are true, yes "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 I love reading and thinking... how wonderful, how lucky they were and woo that is scary. At VBS, the last day story was Acts 27:1-44 and I had mostly boys grades 5-7. I had asked everyday for one of the kids to read the Bible story and it was usually a girl who would read for me. On this day, I asked Ben, (who is one of the smartest kids I know, who, I think, loves to read the Bible and knows it so well) to read out loud. We usually read a few verses and then discuss it as suggested in the accompanying brochure. The story was so cool for these boys that they were almost fighting to read the next verses. You need to read the story especially from a 7th grade boy's view to see the great excitement they got from it. There was such an adventure and then of course the reason for the story, "trust in Jesus" Just how can one not read the Bible and find such inspiration and hope
7. I love going to the library. Here where I live, we have the best library. I can go in and request a book and they will BUY it for me. Can you believe that? Just to show you, I went in two weeks ago and left them with a list to see if they could borrow them from another library in their system. I received a phone call and they had six books for me to read, ALL NEW. Yipes, I had better get busy. One of them I read immediately since the title looked so good. I have it quoted at the end. What a surprise to find such great witnessing in one of the many books I read and I was thrilled. Who would have thought? I hope I like them all, they are all different from the regular style of reading I do
8. I love to go into Barnes and Noble or Borders or, where my parents live, Schuler Books. I feel sorry for those that don't get a kick out of shopping there. The smell of a book store alone is wonderful. It always inspires my sister to continue writing her book that she'’s working on.
   
9. Picture books are wonderful too. Even if the subject matter is way over my head but the pictures are just spectacular, I will look at the book. Bird books are one of my favorite too. Birds are so beautiful with all of their unique markings, yes even sparrows. Books about space intrigue me. The picture in those are breath taking. Isn't it just amazing that we can send space ships up there to take pictures of planets that are soooooo far away? Wildflower books I can look at every time I fall upon them. These books are what bring me memories also. Looking through a telescope with my dad, on our honeymoon with all of the trillium in bloom everywhere we looked, traveling with my family along mirgrating bird paths-who would have thought I would have ever looked at that as a "good" memory, when at the time us kids thought it was stupid. "The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you the knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination." Elizabeth Hardwick
10. Here's the quote from the book I mentioned in #7. Enjoy

Still Life with Chickens by Catherine Goldhammer

"Then I remembered that two days earlier, dropping my daughter off at this woman's house for the birthday party of her son, a large blonde stranger came up to my car and began talking about my dog, who was in the backseat with her head out the window. She said how blessed we were to have these creatures and that they were gifts from God. She said that she had put her dog down the previous Tuesday. As I began to offer my condolences, she interrupted me.
'No, no," she said. 'It was so beautiful.' She said she had buried him in her front yard and that her neighbors-she had not planned this-came over and played clarinets.
'God is good,' she said. 'I am moving through God all the time. I am swimming in God,' she said, waving her arms.
'Do you know how I know?' she asked.
I didn't
'I know because the world is made of protons,' she said, 'and God is in every one of them. Every single one of them, and wherever I go...' She waved her arms in the swimming motion again.
She was bold and cheerful and brilliantly not just talking. She was walking the walk. She was spreading the news, and it didn't matter, not to me or to her, that I didn't believe what she did, or do what she did about it, or know at the time just what she was giving me that I would soon need."

10 good reasons to be home by oneself

1. No one to tell you what to do
2. Can stand as long as you want at the window looking out it
3. Can use binoculars to view what is outside the window that you've been standing at
4. Locate a green heron killing and eating a frog on the pond right next to a female woodduck having breakfast-not a frog
5. Can sit down with that second cup of coffee after doing NOTHING
6. Can call parents to see what's up-only Mama home, enjoyed the time with just her but feeling sorry for sister who's running the rubber off of the car with Papa
7. Can decide when to eat lunch even if it's still in the morning
8. Can watch what I want on TV (HGTV, DIY, Fine Living) and look all over the internet at the same time
9. Can plan on cleaning my sewing room, exercising, dusting, and just laugh at each thought
10. Know that no matter what, I can always pray and talk to my dear Lord Jesus and today I can do it out loud
    

10 good reasons for VBS (Vacation Bible School)

1. The excitement of the children is contagious
2. The food is wonderful-I didn't have anything to do with it
3. It's so great to see all ages of the church community involved
   
4. I get to be with children (we're all children of God) who are middle school age-imagine that, and I'm getting along with them-oh wait, it's only been one time, let's see on Friday
   
5. Each VBS day has a comforting message
   
1. In Jesus, "you have been enriched in every way." 1Corinthians 1:5
2. God "is rich in mercy...by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5
3. "Know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." 2Corinthians 8:9
4. "It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1Peter 1:19-19
5. "The LORD your God has chosen you...to be His people, His treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6
6. I get to hang out with some great adults
7. I look forward to the end of the evening since that is when this starts
8. I get to come home to an all understanding husband who, when he married me, had no idea I was "this religious" and lets me discuss my evening with the little rabble-rousers
   
9. Every morning I read the Bible in order to get ready for the evening, that's comforting
10. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Ephesians 1:7
    

10 good reasons for a sister visit

1. It's my sister
2. She comes with a great man for a husband and 2 wonderful children
   
3. The nieces bring smiles to the daughter's face
4. She has traveled from Texas to Michigan to us-Illinois-and still my happy, carefree, little sister
   
5. My husband loves my family so this is okay with him
6. The nieces stay here, the sister and husband stay in a hotel-remember the well problem
7. Wonderful conversations and catching up on things
8. Took sister to my M and M club-she got to see how lucky I am to have such great Christian friends
   
9. All my troubles are put on hold while I get to bask in the love and kindness of her
10. We all discuss and know that Jesus is our savior and without the Lord as our savior, we are doomed
    

10 good things about June 5th

1. It can be written 6-05
2. In the evening when water has been hit, that time can be written 6:05
3. The well guy can tell you that they hit water at 605'
4. It is all good numbers, not 6-06-06
5. The big noisy truck left the yard
6. Husband handling it all surprisingly well-get it?
7. Daughter is doing well after surgery
8. Spent a lot of the day on the back deck listening to the birds
9. Played games with daughter and husband in the evening, just like the good old times
10. As always, none of this could be possible without the help of our Lord Jesus who died on the cross to save us from sin and make us look as good to God as his only son does
    

10 good reasons for a new well

1. Water won't smell
2. Water won't be gray/black
3. Water won't ruin costly hair dye job
4. Water won't change color of whites to orange/gray
5. Hot showers, doing dishes, using hot water in the house won't smell up the whole house
   
6. Water hydrant by garden now
7. Dogs/cat will love the new water
8. Husband will stop worrying about the old well going dry
9. The resale value of the house just went up
   
10. Knowing that God will provide as He said he would. Why would you think any differently?